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SHEFFIELD:

The Great Hurricane in Sheffield Tuesday 16 December 1873

Extracted from the Sheffield and Rotherham Independent dated 17 December 1873 by Karen Turner.

"Not since the terrible night in 1864 when the Dale Dyke Dam burst its banks has such a calamity occurred in Sheffield as that which took place yesterday morning. The gale which then swept over the town with a relentless fury which we in this country are fortunately unfamiliar and which has caused the loss of 7 lives, perhaps 3 or 4 times that number of persons are now lying more or less seriously injured; and as this was not enought there has been an immense destruction of property. Whilst all Sheffield was calmly eating its breakfast, terrible scenes were being enacted. Houses were being unroofed, trees were torn up as if they were saplings, great chimney shafts pointing their way proudly 40 or 50 yards into our cloudy sky were being toppled over like diminutive ninepins. From one end of the town to the other there is hardly a street that does not bear signs of injury; there is hardly a house which has escaped. Panes are dashed in; tiles and slates were blown about like pieces of paper; windows rattled enough almost to wake the Seven Sleepers; houses were shaken as if there were an earthquake."

"The wind began to get high soon after 1 o'clock yesterday morning. It then died away for a little time the stillness which precedes the storm and then it burst out with great fury from four o'clock, it gradually increased in violence until half-past nine. Very little damage seems to have been done till 8 but from then till nearly 10 there was a constant succession of casualties and tidings of chimneys blown down, men killed, and roofs fallen in came "fast and furious". Men were seen rushing here and there with "bated breath" for Death was stalking amongst them and his never-ceasing scythe had laid many a victim low."

Fatalities (excluding George Bower) were lying at the Dog and Partridge Inn, Trippet Lane; George Bower is stated as being in the dead-house at the Dispensary.

Name

Occupation

Address

John Brown

Cutler

Trippet Lane

John Aster

Cutler

Newcastle Street

William Evans

Cutler

Spring Street

John Crookes

Spring knife cutler

Orchard Lane

Thomas Paules

Cutler

Snow Lane

George Bower

Cutler

Water Street

List of injured at the General Infirmary

Name

Address

Injuries

John Bradbury, blacksmith of Newhall

Scalp wound and contusions Found buried in the ruins at Crucible Steel Foundry, Newhall

Mark Rolley, fettler who lived at Rotherham

Dead on admission Killed at Crucible Steel Foundry, Newhall, inquest opened on 16/12/1873 at the Infirmary and adjourned to 30th inst

Henry Sidebottom, 22

17 Bramwell Street

Extensive scalp wound, was working out of doors somewhere and pallisades fell on him